New Vehicles

Licensing a New VehicleSo you bought a new car or boat... now what?
Whether you bought a car, truck, camper, trailer, boat or any other type of vehicle or vessel, as a resident of this state you will need to license it with the state of Washington. Fortunately, if you purchased your vehicle from a dealer in the state, that dealer will probably take care of the licensing for you. Ask your dealer if that is the case.

However, if the dealer did not do the licensing for you, or if you purchased your vehicle from out-of-state, you will need to license the vehicle yourself.
Applying for a License or Title
Application for a title and/or license must be made immediately. You can do this by going to the County Auditor's Licensing Division, Courthouse Room 117, or you can license your vehicle at the nearest vehicle licensing sub-agencies.

Items You Will Need
When you go to license your new vehicle you will need to bring with you the following items:

Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO)

Notarized signatures of every registered name to be shown on the title

Documentation of the purchase price - bill of sale or invoice from out of state dealer

Federal odometer statement

For a leased vehicle you will need a Washington Department of Revenue Tax Number

Picture ID

Cash, check or money order (credit and debit cards are not accepted)

Name and address of lien holder

Special or Personalized License Plates
You can get information about special or personalized license plates from the Washington State Department Department of Licensing, including the ability to find out whether a certain personalized plate may be available.